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Zeppelins over Sheffield

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On another thread someone mentioned a commemorative plaque down Attercliffe for a bomb dropped by a German zeppelin during the first World War.

Usually I avoid these 'War' threads because it was bad enough that it happened. But, in this case I'm intrigued. When I was a kid, a story that went around the adult circle was of somebody hearing the sound of engines far up in the sky, this was usually at night. The somebody then felt warm rain on his/her face and on getting indoors found she/he had oil on his/her face. The inference that it was a zeppelin, and it was leaking oil in some way.

Anybody else heard this story? I always thought it was a load of old cobblers, because someone told me it was, but if the presence of a plaque commemorating a raid, is true, well, I'm not so sure.

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Hi, yes indeed there were zeppelin raids over attercliffe in WW1.

 

Im actually in the middle of reading this book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Popular-History-Sheffield-Edward-Vickers/dp/B0014J04ZM

(from 1977)

 

And bizarrely read about the Zeppelin raids only last night.

 

A man would sit in a basket many metres below the Zeppelin directing it, whilst the zeppelin would pass by unoticed in the cloud cover.

 

See if you can get a copy of the book, its a fascinating read and has much more details about the blitz than I previously read.

 

Cheers

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I believe my great grandmother's sister was killed during that raid. Apparently there is a memorial to the victims somewhere on Effingham Road. However, I have never been able to find it. Does anyone know exactly where the memorial is located?

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Visit this site by Chris Hobbs

http://www.chrishobbs.com/sheffieldsfirstraid1916.htm

Tells all about the Zepplin raid and the victims, also a photo of the memorial.

The memorial is located at the Attercliffe end of Effingham Road, set in the wall of the Baltic Steel works opposite the top of Lovetot Street.

If you didn't know it was there, you would be unlikely to spot it.

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Many thanks for that cat631. It just goes to show that some things just pass you by. I never heard, to what extent, the raid by a zeppelin had caused so many deaths.

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Cat631, I appreciate your response.

 

Elizabeth Bellamy, of whom there is a photo on the site to which you refer, was my great grandmother's sister.

 

I will make a point of looking for the memorial next time I pass along Effingham Road. I been searching in vain for a while.

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Visit this site by Chris Hobbs

http://www.chrishobbs.com/sheffieldsfirstraid1916.htm

Tells all about the Zepplin raid and the victims, also a photo of the memorial.

The memorial is located at the Attercliffe end of Effingham Road, set in the wall of the Baltic Steel works opposite the top of Lovetot Street.

If you didn't know it was there, you would be unlikely to spot it.

 

That's true, I knew relatives who lived nearby for many years and they didn't know that it was there, mind you it was as black as the Ace of Spades.

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My grandmother ran with her son my father to the Brickyards at Darnall overlooking Attercliffe she wrapped the baby in her skirts to protect him and watched the airship drift down the Attercliffe corridor ,

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If you look for the fishing republic sign its bang opposite on the other side of road.

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Just posted this on other thread

 

I know this is not exactly on topic but my great uncle was Reginald 'Rex' Warneford. His father was brother to my great grandad. My grandmother was Florence Warneford before marrying my grandad Stephen Gill. Rex was a hero in WW1 being the first person to shoot down a Zeppelin from a Morane-Saulnier aeroplane while over Belgium in June 1915. He was awarded the VC - the first person in the fleet air arm to get this- and the French Cross of the Legion of Honour on the same day. He was accidentally killed on 17 June 1915 aged 23 while ferrying American journalist Henry Beach Needham when the planr they were being made of wood just fell apart. Needham died at crash scene and Rex later in hospital. He had full military funeral with thousands lining route and is buried in Brompton cemetery in London

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tylers buried in grave 1199 KK there is a small stone and a commemorative pot from the bar mill

bellamy wilson and newton all have 6ft tall gothic style headstones still standing

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I don't know if there is reference to this anywhere, but relatives of mine are said to have been bombed out of their house on Lucas Street, Pitsmoor in a Zeppelin raid. I think the terraced house was never rebuilt and remained a gap in the row until their demolition in the 70's. No one was killed as far as I'm aware and the family were re-housed in the pleasant Endcliffe area on Stainton Road ( No,14; the Thompson family. )

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